RSS 2.0 FeedAugust 19, 2010, Bellmore Life
It's not easy being green
Town of Hempstead hosts a green seminar.
WHAT DO KERMIT THE FROG, FOUR-LEAF CLOVERS AND BELLMORE RESIDENT MARK POLSTEIN HAVE IN COMMON? They’re all green, of course! From left, Town Clerk Mark Bonilla of Bellmore, town Councilwoman Angie Cullin, LIPA President and CEO Kevin Law, town Supervisor Kate Murray, Mr. Polstein and town Councilman Gary Hudes hold a solar panel (also seen on Mr. Polstein’s roof, top left). Bellmore Life photos by Lauren Urban
“Kermit the Frog may have exclaimed, ‘It isn’t easy being green.’ But Hempstead Town and its ‘Green Team’ partners are here to prove Kermit wrong,” began town Supervisor Kate Murray at a Solar Energy Seminar press conference held at Bellmore resident Mark Polstein’s house on August 13.
Mr. Polstein recently decided to go green “for the country and for the planet” by having 28 solar panels installed on his roof. The panels, which took only three days to install, produce the needed amount of energy for the house. Any energy produced beyond what is needed is fed back into the grid and sold to the Long Island Power Authority.
“LIPA is my customer now,” joked Mr. Polstein, who receives approximately a $5 per month utilities bill from the company, while his neighbors owe hundreds of dollars.
While the switch to solar panels can be expensive, the homeowner said that about three-fourths of the $42,000 overall cost was paid for by the state and other institutions. He estimates his out-of-pocket expense to be $10,000. In about five or six years, the installation will pay for itself, he said.
The Polsteins’ house is still hooked up to the grid for when conditions, such as time of day and weather, are not optimum. Two inverters, at $3,000 a piece, are placed in the home’s garage – they determine whether solar power or energy from the grid is needed.
Ms. Murray, along with town Councilwoman Angie Cullin, town Councilman Gary Hudes, Town Clerk Mark Bonilla, LIPA President and CEO Kevin Law, Dan Sabia of Bellmore-based Built Well Solar, David Shieren of EmPower Clean Energy Solutions and Bill Feldman of Empire Clean Energy, commended Mr. Polstein’s efforts to help the environment.
They encourage other residents to join the Green Team by attending any of the six home efficiency and solar energy classes/seminars to be held around the Town of Hempstead.
The seminars aim to “equip residents with the tools they need to lower their energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint. [They will also] highlight measures homeowners can undertake to make houses more energy efficient, and detail how to incorporate solar power into the energy plan for homes and businesses,” said a town press release. The seminars also feature a light bulb exchange, in which attendees can bring up to five old light bulbs in exchange for free, energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs. The exchange was made possible by a $247,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The next two classes are scheduled for Tuesday, August 24, at Merrick Road Park Golf Course in Merrick, and Wednesday, September 15, at Malverne Village Hall. Both classes begin at 7 p.m. Seating is limited; interested residents can register prior to the class by calling 431-9200, or visiting renewableenergylongisland.org.
